Future Tech - Trek-Like Vocera Comm Badge Makes Scifi A Reality

by , 11:00 AM EDT, September 30th, 2003

This has nothing to do with Apple, but we thought it was too cool to ignore: Anyone who has was Star Trek: The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine will instantly recognize this device and system; Vocera is an on-site communications system based on WiFi (802.11b) instead of the more typical analog or digital wireless voice communication systems. Watch the videos, especially "Concept Video" to fully understand what we are talking about. (Two notes on the video: The first is that the videos are only available in Windows Media Player (The Real files seem to be missing), and the second is notice how a Wintel notebook crashing "again" is built into the story line of the concept video.)

Being WiFi-based is not the only thing that makes Vocera unique: The communication unit, which is about as long and about 1/2 the width of an iPod, is worn on the upper chest area and is voice activated a la Star Trek's Comm Badge.

There's more: The Windows 2000 server (sigh!) at the heart of the system can take voice commands and route calls directly between 2 users, to groups of users, or any combination therein. Further, the system can locate a user, block calls, and much, much more. This system is so much like the comm badges on Star Trek we wondered why the makers of Vocera didn't just call it that, Comm Badge.

The Vocera site has a white paper and other documents that explain in detail the capabilities of the Vocera system, and there are the promotional videos we mentioned above that show Vocera in action.

You may not see an immediate need for a system like Vocera, but you should stop by the site anyway just to check it out.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Apparently, innovation isn't dead beyond the walls of 1 Infinite Loop. This just goes to show how a convergence of technologies can yield something so surprising, yet so logical. What's really cool is that it is based on standards that anyone can use.

The applications for devices and systems like Vocera are endless; construction sites, shipboard communications, security, even community-wide communications can all benefit from this technology.

While we could certainly suggest that the company think about changing its server platform (wink!), TMO gives Vocera a hardy salute for showing everyone how it's done.

Vocera Communications